Smith KOs Martin in Strikeforce Debut

By: Dave MandelNov 22, 2008

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Scott “Hands of
Steel” Smith lived up to his nickname on Friday, as he knocked
out fellow UFC veteran Terry Martin
in the Strikeforce “Destruction” main event before 8,152 at the HP
Pavilion.

Martin backed Smith into the cage in an attempt to close the
distance and was met with a short right hand that ended his night
in just 24 seconds.

Following the second-fastest finish of his career, Smith (14-5)
immediately went into his superhero flex pose and enjoyed the
cheers from the crowd. Martin (18-6) has dropped four of his last
six fights, three of them by knockout.

“I knew this fight wasn’t going to go long,” Smith said. “I stepped
in there, and, as soon as we engaged, I just felt it, man. I knew
this fight was going to end soon.”

With fans firmly behind him, the San Jose-based titleholder scored
with an immediate takedown against Sobral and stifled the Brazilian
jiu-jitsu black belt on the ground. A loose attempt at a transition
from Sobral allowed Southworth to control the action further before
the two men returned to their feet.

Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com

An elbow from "Babalu"
opened a gash above
Southworth's right eye.

Clinch work against the cage drew boos from the raucous crowd, and
referee “Big” John McCarthy split up the two men after a period of
inactivity, placing them in the center of the cage. Back in the
clinch, “Babalu” landed a wicked elbow that sliced open the
American Kickboxing Academy representative.

McCarthy promptly had ringside physicians check the cut, and fans
cheered as Southworth was allowed to continue. Southworth repaid
their admiration, as he countered the Brazilian with a straight
right that sent him to the mat. Sobral (31-7), however, weathered
Southworth’s storm until the bell brought an end to the round.

Between rounds, cage-side doctors deemed Southworth unfit to
continue because of the cut. Sobral, his reign as Strikeforce
champion having begun, jumped joyously.

“I tried to push the pace,” Sobral said. “I knew he was going to
hold me against the cage.”

The controversial Brazilian quickly answered calls for a rematch
with Southworth (9-6), who was visibly disheartened by the
outcome.

“Anytime, anywhere,” Sobral said.

A catchweight bout between Duane Ludwig
-- a late substitute for injured lightweight champion Josh Thomson
-- and Yves Edwards
promised explosive stand-up action, but it was work on the ground
that made the difference.

Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com

Duane Ludwig smashes Yves
Edwards with a body shot.

Edwards secured an early takedown with a leg trip
against the muay Thai specialist. However, Ludwig demonstrated
versatility with the butterfly guard, as he prevented any serious
damage and essentially neutralized his opponent. A late smattering
of punches from Edwards opened the opportunity for Ludwig to return
to his feet at the end of round one.

The second stanza brought dynamic striking from the fighters.
Ludwig threw single shots and targeted the body when Edwards
unleashed combinations. Another leg trip forced Ludwig to the
ground, though he quickly scrambled back to his feet and punished
Edwards with stiff body shots. Targeting the liver, Ludwig found
his range before he was interrupted by another takedown. Boos
rained down from the crowd as Edwards (34-15-1) worked on the
ground and the round drew to a close.

Round three saw each the fighters exchange lethargic strikes before
more jeers from the audience inspired Ludwig (18-8) to let loose.
And while he was double-legged for his trouble, Ludwig found
surprising success with his wrestling, as he fended off takedowns
and controlled Edwards from top position.

All three judges sided with Ludwig by matching 29-28 counts.

“We’re friends,” said Ludwig, who has won back-to-back fights since
his loss to Takanori
Gomi in March. “The only way that we were going to take the
fight is so we can both have a Christmas for our kids. If I didn’t
take the fight, he would have been out; no money for Christmas. We
do this for our jobs. This is what we do.”

One-sided fireworks were on display in the night’s lone female
fight.

Kim
Couture, wife of UFC hall of famer Randy
Couture, threw caution to the wind and let her hands fly
against Lina Kvokov,
who flinched in the face of relentless pressure. Couture (1-1)
controlled the clinch and battered the Oregonian across the cage,
stalking Kvokov with punches as she backpedaled.

In survival mode from the opening bell, Kvokov (0-2) offered only a
handful of punches, many of which missed their mark. She met her
end 1:24 into the match, as Couture -- who landed 28 of her 44
strikes -- blasted her out of the cage. The victory was Couture’s
first as a professional.

“My hands have been sharp,” Couture said. “They didn’t feel like
they were as sharp as they’ve been feeling, but they worked.”

Finally, UFC veteran Joe Riggs made
a successful return to the welterweight division, as he stopped
Luke
Stewart on second-round strikes.

Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com

Joe Riggs tees off
on Luke Stewart.

Early on, Riggs (29-10) appeared to be the more inexperienced of
the two, as he could not control the distance against the sharp San
Franciscan. After landing a leg kick, Stewart scored with a quick
takedown. Despite returning to his feet, Riggs was forced to fend
off Stewart from all angles.

Stewart (6-2) continued to close the distance as the second stanza
opened, but a takedown forced him to match his guard with Riggs’
heavy ground-and-pound. Experience soon kicked in, as Riggs founds
his rhythm and began to unload. Stewart ultimately scrambled to his
feet, where a big hook sent the heavily tattooed welterweight to
the ground. The end came 2:05 into the second round.